filmbore pick of the week - Switchblade Romance

Switchblade Romance/High Tension (Haute Tension)

Director: Alexandre Aja

Screenplay: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur

Starring: Cécile de France, Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon

Year: 2003

Language: French

UK rental release: January 2005

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So far in my horror season, we've had an art-house horror and Brit-com (technically Irish) horror, so let's cross the other side of the water to our other European neighbours for a different take on the genre, with the French slasher-thriller, Switchblade Romance.

We open on close up shots of our lead's feet, hands and then her wounded body, as she whispers statements of regret. Suddenly, we cut to her limping through a forest. Bloodied and tortured, her injuries seem fresher. She flags down a car in her peril, screaming for help.

It's then that we're awoken along with our helpless victim, Marie (Cécile de France, The Kid With A Bike, Mesrine) as she realises she was having a nightmare. She remarks on her strange dream to her friend, Alex (Maïwenn, The Fifth Element, Pardonnez-moi), as they drive through the countryside. They are en route to Alex's family farmhouse for a break and to do some much needed studying.

During their journey, we get a disturbing glimpse of a horrific man (Philippe Nahon, Irreversible, Brotherhood Of The Wolf), engaging in a sexual act in his decrepit van. When finished in his putrid activity he takes the woman's head, already decapitated, and drops it out of the vehicle's window, driving off to find his next target.

They arrive at a quiet country home, with no urban life for miles. Alex's family live a simple life, but Marie is worried that she'll be bored being stuck out in the sticks, pressing for any kind of night life in the area. While they settle after their long journey, Alex talks of her new squeeze - a man who is already taken. Marie, who is still single, doesn't agree with the manner of Alex's new relationship thinking her sluttish. Once everyone's gone to bed, while outside the farmhouse catching a sneaky cigarette, Marie espies Alex in the shower but doesn't look away. She gazes for a moment, maybe just out of intrigue or for a secret longing unrealised? It's clear she cares for her friend either way.

Shortly after this, the creepy "man with the van" pulls up to the farmhouse. He rings the doorbell, waking everyone except Marie, who is happily listening to music (and more) in her room. On answering, the man waits for a beat than horrifically begins slaying Alex's father, entering the house to begin his reign of terror. He parades slowly around the family's home, taking them out as he goes. As his onslaught continues, Marie has eludes the killer, having to bear witness to chilling cries of the inhabitants as they fall victim to his bludgeoning. When there is a lull, she flees from her room in search of Alex, who she finds alive, chained up in her room.

The killer is interested purely in Alex...he desires her. Stealing a photo of her for himself, he keeps her chained up to be taken away. Marie isn't standing for this, and decides to fight back to assist her kidnapped friend. She has to do everything in her power to free Alex and the chase is on, leading to a finale that will surprise and shock you.

It's been noted over the years since Switchblade Romance's release, that is has polarised audiences the world over. There are some, unfortunately, poor reviews available on the film. I feel that some of the public's view may be because of their expectations for a movie that turned out to be something quite different, as it's not your average slasher piece, and  with a climax like it has it may have put most viewers off. I, however, love the ending as it's adds a little extra sparkle to the overall movie. In fact, it holds one of the best song choices you'll find in cinema. Muse's anthemic "New Born" is used twice in the film, but has the best relevance during the crushing finale and I think it's one of the finest song choices made for a scene yet (look out for a top ten of Best Songs For A Scene" in the near future!). 

Alexandre Aja has made some other shrewd choices in the creation of this picture. It's masterfully shot, with patient camera work, some handheld, and paired with the source material it helps the tale do its job in slowly building up the apprehension in your gut. There are subtle lighting choices during the film also, which is mostly set at night, adding a salubrious and chilling tone to the overall story.

On the matter of plot, there are straight forward elements here, but when burying deeper into Switchblade's premise it's hard to talk thematically about it without giving too much away. What I will say is that, on a second watch, it has some small rewards in its plot intricacies that you will appreciate. It also bears an interesting approach, in that it has a French, new wave feel, which is a rare vibe in the genre of horror and could be yet another reason why some people weren't as forgiving of it.

What's not forgiving in this picture however is both the horror and performances. Speaking of the actors first of all, Maïwenn plays the victim at the just the right level of dread. In her jeopardy, she plays off against both her tormentor and her saviour with the horror standard any damsel in distress does, leaving no room for whimsical delivery. She is clearly terrified, and it's fair to see why as a character when her captor is as horrific as he is, thanks to Philippe Nahon's formidable execution of a killer so cold, vile and perverted.

It's all held together by our lead. Holding a large amount of the screen time, Cécile de France is stunning in this movie, expressing all levels of fear, anxiety, terror, sadness and fury. As solid Slasher movies go, we always see the catastrophic outcomes from the perspective of the female lead, but her journey appears all the more richer, and this is fuelled by a great performance from Cécile.

The journey isn't complete without the necessary veins of the horror genre to take us through it. There are good horror beats throughout, including small notes of scares early on to build tension and some decent jump moments thrown in to the mix to ramp up the terror. And who doesn't like a good startle or too in a horror movie?!

It even has the quintessential "hiding in the closet" scene, but one like you've never witnessed before. It makes Blue Velvet look like a pleasant evening viewing in comparison. This is due to one simple fact - this film is brutal & gory, relentless in its acts of bloodshed. It blends together a combination of sensationalised violence paired with realistic and visceral gore. I have to say, the bloodshed is quite heavy and those of you with a queasy disposition, should heed this warning. However, if you can look past the blood, sweat and fears you're in for a creepy and violent ride that ticks all of the genre's boxes and still has room to leave you a little treat at the end. A shocking climax and heavily misunderstood, it's the ultimate French indie horror, with a new wave vibe.

As a critic myself, I have to be open minded to an array of views on cinema in order to justify my own position when writing articles. If you are swayed by some of the negative reviews of this movie then I ask that you be persuaded by the equal amount of positive ones too. 

The only fair way to have an opinion on a film is to view it yourself in order to form your own thoughts - and rarely does this apply more than such a unique shocker as Switchblade Romance. 

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